Oakland Athletics second baseman Eric Patterson throws to first base over Minnesota Twins' Delmon Young during the second inning of a baseball game Saturday, Aug. 30, 2008, in Oakland, Calif. Twins' Brendan Harris was safe at first base on the failed double play. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Photo: Ben Margot, AP

Oakland Athletics second baseman Eric Patterson throws to first...

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Oakland Athletics' Dallas Braden waits for the ball and for Minnesota Twins' Denard Span (background) to run the bases after Span's two-run home run in the fifth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Aug. 30, 2008, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Photo: Ben Margot, AP

Oakland Athletics' Dallas Braden waits for the ball and for...

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Minnesota Twins' Denard Span (2) celebrates his two-run home run with teammate Alexi Casilla (25) during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2008, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Rosters don't expand until Monday, but the A's couldn't wait for outfielder Aaron Cunningham. He had to hurry from Sacramento to Oakland on Saturday evening when the A's placed Frank Thomas on the disabled list with a recurrence of the right quadriceps strain that kept him out much of the summer.

So the A's continued one of their most overriding trends: cramming the DL.

Then they staged a ninth-inning rally helped along by an error by Minnesota closer Joe Nathan. Nathan's throw got past third on Ryan Sweeney's bunt attempt in the ninth and Bobby Crosby and Emil Brown both came around to score as the ball trickled away from third baseman Brendan Harris, giving Oakland a 3-2 victory at the Coliseum.

"He's one of the best in both leagues, and any time he walks into the game and you end up beating him is a pretty special night," A's manager Bob Geren said of Nathan.

Crosby singled to lead off the ninth and Nathan hit Brown before Sweeney put down his bunt toward the third base side of the mound. Nathan's throw was low and to Harris' right, and he couldn't get it with a stab.

Dallas Braden made another strong start for the A's, allowing two runs, one earned, in six innings. Alexi Casilla reached second on an error by Cliff Pennington to open the fifth and after a bunt moved Casilla to third, Denard Span banged a 1-2 pitch from Braden out to right center.

On Tuesday, Thomas had said that he "tweaked" the hamstring sliding into home plate on a wild pitch Monday in Anaheim, but he didn't think the problem was major. He had been hitting well lately, though - he was 8 for his past 21 with four walks after snapping a career-high 0-for-23 streak. He took batting practice Saturday and was listed in the cleanup spot in the lineup before being scratched a little more than an hour before the game.

Geren said Thomas had aggravated the quad during batting practice to the point where it felt as it had earlier in the summer. That means there is a good possibility that Thomas will miss the rest of the season.

Thomas, 40, has said he wants to play one more year. He needs one more home run to snap a tie with Willie McCovey and Ted Williams for 17th on the all-time list.

The A's extended their Oakland record for most DL uses in one season to 24, two more than the previous mark. They have used 18 rookies, their most since using 19 in 1983.

Cunningham, who was in the dugout about an hour after the game started, was going to be called up Tuesday, anyway.

"I was definitely caught off guard," Cunningham said of getting the news from Sacramento manager Todd Steverson late Saturday afternoon. "Todd said, 'Get your stuff and get to Oakland as fast as you can.' "

It's a good bet that Cunningham will be in the lineup today against the Twins. The 22-year-old was part of the December deal that sent Dan Haren to Arizona. Starters Dana Eveland and Greg Smith also were in that trade, along with recently demoted outfielder Carlos Gonzalez, who is still expected to be an impact player with Oakland in the future. The A's also received left-hander Brett Anderson, who is at Double-A Midland and who starred on the Olympic team, and Class A Stockton first baseman Chris Carter, whose 39 homers are second most in the minor leagues.

His presence in Oakland means the team will get a good look at all its potential 2009 (and beyond) outfield. Rookie Ryan Sweeney is the A's leading hitter; Carlos Gonzalez was sent down Thursday after three months with the club; and Chris Denorfia was with Oakland early in the season.

On Friday night in Sacramento, Cunningham had four hits, including a grand slam, to extend his hitting streak to six games, during which he hit .560. Though Cunningham grew up in Washington state, he was born in Anchorage, Alaska, making him just the 10th major-leaguer born in the state and the A's second after infielder Steve Staggs (1978).

Andrew Brown was placed on the 60-day DL with shoulder soreness to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Cunningham, who will be making his major-league debut when he appears in a game.